Vanity Fair posted today a first look at Steven Spielberg’s take on the classic musical West Side Story. Dropping December, the film looks, if nothing else, to be a hot contender in the Best Costume Design 2021 Oscar race.
For those unaware, West Side Story is a musical version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet classic play with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It premiered on Broadway in 1957 where it won only two Tonys and has never received a Best Musical Tony despite multiple revivals. A current revival remains shuttered on Broadway due to the COVID-19 crisis. Robert Wise’s film version debuted in 1961 and received 10 wins out of 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Spielberg’s 2020 remake, based on a screenplay by Tony Kushner, stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in the classic roles of Tony and Maria. The film is scheduled to be released December 18, 2020.
Here are the publicity photos as originally released in Vanity Fair.
